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FC Cincinnati fires head coach Alan Koch after slow start

In this March 17, 2019 photo, FC Cincinnati head coach Alan Koch acknowledges the crowd before an MLS soccer match against the Portland Timbers, in Cincinnati. FC Cincinnati fired coach Alan Koch on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, after the Major League Soccer expansion team’s 11th first-tier match. (John Minchillo / Associated Press)
Associated Press

CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati fired coach Alan Koch on Tuesday after the Major League Soccer expansion team’s 11th first-tier match.

Koch was fired after two wins, seven losses and two draws in which the team scored a league-low eight goals.

Club President Jeff Berding said the team wasn’t reaching its potential. Assistant Yoann Damet will lead the team during a coach search.

Koch was promoted to head coach in 2017 and led Cincinnati to the United Soccer League’s playoffs each of the last two seasons, a key factor in the team’s popularity. His team won the league’s regular season title with 23 wins, three losses and eight draws last year and reached the semifinals. Koch also led the team to the semifinals of the 2017 U.S. Open Cup. His teams had 35 wins, 13 losses and 18 draws during the regular season.